torch procession to drive away crop-eating insects
although; but; even though; I wish that
agglutination; adhesion; fusion; combination; blending; uniting
Shinto priest; chief Shinto priest (of a shrine); Welsh onion; pun in Buddhist monk jargon
territories in the vicinity of the capital and under direct imperial rule; (in Japanese history) the five kuni in the immediate vicinity of Kyoto
beginning; start; outset; at first; at the beginning; initially
preferential treatment; special treatment; discrimination; express delivery; special delivery
assistance; help; helper; babe; chick; broad
announcement; presentation; demonstration; displaying; showing; introducing
public hall; community center; community centre
public square; square; plaza; open space; clearing
lovers' tiff; quarrel between lovers; chattering; idle talk
north of the capital; northern part of Kyoto
to chant (repeat) the name of Buddha
samadhi (state of intense concentration achieved through meditation); being immersed in; being absorbed in; prone to; apt to
after (practically) no time; immediately after; just; having no time to
to be softened; to calm down
Jizo Festival; child-focused religious festival, in which Jizo statues are decorated, esp. in Kyoto; held on August 23-24
five most important temples of a region
from the viewpoint of; according to
homa stick; stick on which prayers are written, then ritually burnt before an idol to ask for blessings
ignition; lighting; firing; setting off
summer vacation; summer holiday
Mahavairocana (Tathagata); Great Sun; Supreme Buddha of Sino-Japanese esoteric Buddhism
zun (ancient Chinese wine vessel, usu. made of bronze); (arch.) honorific prefix referring to the listener; counter for buddhas
narrative style of Bon dance song from eastern Osaka (often with improvised lyrics)
birthplace; origin; cradle; motherland
Toyama (city, prefecture)
Owara-Kaze-no-Bon Festival (Toyama)
kneading; gloss; paste (e.g. bean paste, mustard paste); parading of portable shrines and floats at festivals
eisa (Okinawan folk dance that marks the end of the Bon festival)
Ryukyu Islands; southern chain of the Nansei Islands comprising Okinawa Prefecture
extremely familiar; very well-acquainted
(Japanese) Agency for Cultural Affairs
cultural assets; cultural property
protection; safeguard; guardianship; preservation; conservation